Enmity
by Theladyviking
Summary: Sadness, bitterness, jealousy. No one is immune to these emotions, no matter how hard you try to hide them, they will always be impossible to completely control. When Inuyasha makes a fatal mistake he leaves Kagome at her most vulnerable left to the whims of Naraku. This broken girl had perfect potential and all he had to do was nurture it, she would be his perfect weapon.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Strings of sunlight floated toward the earth, playing across the open field. Blades of green reflecting the light as miles of lush spring grass ebbed back and forth in the gentle breeze. The fields surrounding Kaede's small village had come to life in hues of brilliant green sprinkled with the beauty of spring, taking form in miles of wildflowers. The wind flowing lazily through the blossoming trees, sharing the clean scent of cherry blossoms and wisteria.

The peaceful rustle of spring was just loud enough to cover the sound of careful footsteps as nature joyfully welcomed an audience. It's lone member isolated in a sea of pastels as she came to rest among the wildflowers. She added nothing more, her presence being the only thing that altered this piece of art. She knew better than to disrupt the simple symphony, the ache in her chest determined to keep her voice meek and broken...it didn't much matter anyway when there was no one there to listen.

Kagome allowed her eyes to fall closed, a calming breeze lifting her hair in waves of black, her flesh raising as the warm air encircled her caressing her pale skin as she held a small red flower between her fingers. The peace she had sought out was short lived as her mind replayed images of him, her eyes threatening to destroy the false image of indifference she had tried to uphold. _'Just...stop...stop thinking so much!.'_

He had gone again, like always. Spirited away by the strangely enchanting soul collectors, beckoning for him to join them by their mistress' side; that otherworldly beauty that had held his heart. She was no stranger to seeing him leave, bathed in the ethereal glow of the shinidamachu, the loneliness he carried never more apparent than when she called to him. His gaze always fixed forward, he would never meet her gaze and for that matter she would never meet his, she felt...it was better that way.

Slate blue eyes fluttered open reluctantly, the glow of the sun reflecting against her unshed tears as she breathed in hoping to soothe the empty ache. _'Here and now, Kagome...No one else needs to carry the burden of your bitterness.' _

She wouldn't lie, there was once a time when she allowed her feelings to get the best of her, forcing her friends and Inuyasha into an uncomfortable situation. That wasn't something she was willing to do again. She had learned her lesson and set herself to keeping those 'feelings' only to herself.

She had struggled at first, believing herself to be above these feelings, but she wasn't, she was human and as such possessed human emotions, as petty as she believed them to be. But with time, she had learned how to keep it in. Her anger and hurt, no longer projected, had morphed into a lonely ache in her chest, sometimes so strong she was sure that her companions could feel it too.

She knew better though, after all Inuyasha would still leave and though she was sure her friends could sense her upset, she knew that that empty ache remained her own. Kagome let yet another small breath escape past her lips, turning her face towards the brilliant spring sun. This day, this place was so beautiful and she wouldn't allow her bitterness to ruin it.

After all, this world, this destiny she had been given was much more important than any of the emotions she had swirling within her. She smiled sadly for a moment, twirling the flower around in her hand. The gentle wind welling up around her coaxing the flower free of her grasp claiming it for itself. The soft red of its petals slowly fading away as the soft wind drew it further and further away.

Kagome watched after the flower listlessly, strands of black framing her face as they floated in the breeze. For now she would allow herself to feel what she needed to, afterwards she would be able to lock them away only to add to them the next time he left her behind. She couldn't hate him though and she would never begrudge him what he desired. How could she? She had no place, he had never been hers to begin with.

AN:

Well here goes yet another fanfiction. This will officially be third fanfiction. I know I'm still not finished with Phases but this concept has been swimming around in my head for awhile now. I've kinda always been drawn to tragic female characters and with that said, this story is going to be much darker than phases. This will be one for people who realize just how much people can and do change and how much the things we keep inside really affect us.

This story will have a substantial amount of chapters and will get heavier throughout the chapters.


	2. Fracture

Ch. 1

Fracture

"His hands are saying that he wants to hold her. His feet are saying that he wants to chase after her... He's probably forgotten that I'm here, beside him."

Ai Yazawa, Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai Kanzenban, Volume 1

Petrifying emptiness had descended, enveloping the once sleepy forest in a thick mist. Every beast of land and air silenced in fear, their instincts driving them away into darkened burrows and the hollows of ancient lifeless trees. Trying in vain to hide themselves away from the evil that swallowed the forest whole.

The darkened haze billowed angrily, as distorted shadows broke through the barrier of mist at break neck speeds, the only proof that something still lived+0 within the frozen forest. Small pale hands gripped tightly in folds of coarse crimson fabric searching for support as the wind threatened to tear them away from the comfort of the all too familiar red. Kagome clenched her jaw willing herself to focus, her arms and legs straining as she struggled to keep her hold, clinging to Inuyasha's back as he barreled precariously through the thick mist.

_'Inu...yasha...' _she cringed inwardly, the tiny voice within sounding just as weak as she imagined hers to be if she had allowed any words to escape passed her lips. Her small body shuddered feeling as the hollow in her chest fluttered uncomfortably, the angry wind greedily stealing the breath from her lungs. She felt as her hands wound deeper into his haori, searching for the comfort they so often provided. A comfort, she felt, she didn't deserve.

Stormy eyes watched timidly from her perch over his shoulder, wishing to see his face, wishing she could apologize, even if she knew he would have none of it. In the end though, all he had allowed her were the harsh lines of his profile, his handsome features contorted in aggravation as he stubbornly kept his gaze fixed forward as if she had not been there at all. _'He's angry with me...'_ Kagome felt the burn of hot tears as the wind whipped violently, stinging her eyes with Inuyasha's speed. scrunching her face she admitted defeat, turning to find shelter in the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

She felt her heart stutter within her chest, her eyes squeezing shut forcing tiny trails of tears past her long eyelashes in the process. She could feel his heart pounding, racing with desperation as she clung to his back, the pounding reverberating within her as if it had been her own. For a moment all else drowned out as she listened to his labored breathing, a trivial thing she supposed, if he had been human but in the two years she had known the half demon she had never heard him like this. Ragged, labored.

Eyes squeezed shut as she fought the urge to bury her face within his silver hair pushing down her tumultuous emotions as she listened to his heaving breaths. _'...I can hear it...how despersate he is, in his breath...in his heart beat.'_

_oOo_

_She stood alone in the middle of the rocky clearing, blood red eyes skimming the small group before her flatly. Her painted lips hidden behind a paper fan in a gesture of distaste as she eyed the small group before her._

_Kagome watched as Kagura rolled her ruby red eyes accompanied by an exasperated sigh as she snapped the seemingly delicate fan closed. "I see you received Naraku's message." She waved the fan carelessly in the direction of the billowing smoke, her voice and posture portraying her indifference ._

_"It was kind of hard to miss..."_

_Inuyasha ground out, his hand reaching for tetusaiga as golden eyes darkened. A deep growl emanating from the back of his throat as he glared at the wind sorceress. Kagome's grey eyes clouded over at the mention of the tiny village, smoldering from flame and Naraku's infectious miasma. She remembered the bodies he had left to decay. The charred remains of men and women...children as they clutched to their mothers. Her ire rising at their inability to offer them the burials they deserved as they pressed on in their game of cat and mouse._

_Kagura snorted in response to the hanyou's ill temper as she tapped the tip of her fan to her chin thoughtlessly. 'Well...we all know how he gets...' Kagura paused waving her closed fan casually before breaking the silence once again. '...When he has one of his little...tantrums.'_

_Inuyasha snarled, his jaws clenched tightly allowing Kagome a small glimpse of his sharpened incisors. His body tensing as he stepped forward, legs planted firmly in the gravel beneath him prepared to push him into a defensive at the first sign of danger._

_"I dont' have time to fuck around, Kagura! Quit your fucking yapping and get the fuck out of my way!" _

_The clearing grew silent as all eyes fell onto the wind sorceress unceremoniously. Kagome watched intently as something flashed in Kagura's deep red eyes disturbing the normally placid features of the demoness, if only for a moment._

_Kagura glared back at the hanyou aggravation and distaste apparent at his brashness. Her wrist flicking harshly snapping the fan open before placing it in front of her face yet again pausing momentarily as she debated on what to say next. _

_"He is after the specter. The miko, Kikyo." _

_oOo_

Hot tears threatened to spill over as they stung her eyes, her heart clenching as she remembered the look of dread that plagued his handsome face. His fear tangible as Kagura's words sunk in. Hesitantly Kagome lifted her head, turning away from the silent demon allowing the harsh winds to dry away the small traces of tears from her eyes before a familiar

Stormy unsure eyes lifted, her body shifting ever so slightly in response to the familiar feel of the shikon shards. She lifted her body slightly raising her head high, hands moving to grip the broad shoulders of her companion. "Inuyasha, up ahead...he's waiting."

She felt her stomach drop as he launched himself into the air without a word, his speed increasing ten fold forcing Kagome to shelter her face once again in the crook of his neck, his breathing becoming even more strained than before. _'...he's so desperate...' _

She tightened her grip around his shoulders hoping that in some way she could offer her friend reassurance, her lips parting in an attempt to comfort him before closing yet again in defeat. She allowed her head to return to its hiding place, withdrawing back into her mind as she held tightly to Inuyasha's back, the vague warmth of the jewel growing in intensity with every step of Inuyasha's bare feet. _'I wish I was stronger.'_

_oOo_

_All it took was the mention of her name and he had took off without a second thought. It didn't matter how strange the situation was. How out of the blue it was that Naraku was searching her out when he had spent so much time distancing himself from the woman Onigumo had once lusted for. _

_Kagura had never said the words, not outright but they both knew what lay just beneath the surface, the hidden message behind her warning. _

_It was trap._

_They both knew but neither had said a word._

_Kagome chewed her lip thoughtlessly,her hands moving to rub away the chill from her bare arms as a familiar warmth skirted the edge of her senses. A sliver of time slowed to a crawl leaving the clearing and everything in it forgotten if only for a moment as a fragment of the jewel called out to her, to the woman it once called home. _

_A shard bathed in anger but not the malice that Naraku had nurtured and an underlying sadness buried too deep to be that of Kohaku's. Somewhere, just beyond those trees, someone wished to watch, remaining unseen._

_"Lets go, Kagome!" Kagome snapped her attention back at his harsh voice, nodding submissively as she made her way towards Inuyasha's offered back, his low growl pushing her to go faster, reminding her just where his priorities lie. She shuddered as he gripped her thighs harshly, shooting off through the canopy leaving the small clearing behind, the jewel shard's warmth fading with every leap. _

_She turned her face into his shoulder, the harsh wind whipping at her face. Her grip tightening as she focused harder on the fading jewel. There was a sadness that drew her in, not like kohaku's. This sadness was hidden, burried...like hers. A sadness that went hand in hand with anger, hand in hand with loyalty._

_feelings she understood._

_oOo_

His movements slowed, the forest around them growing sparse as they moved closer to a small clearing surrounding a steep ledge. Opposite sides of a large chasm connected precariously by a dicey looking rope bridge. The wood slats glistened from the wetness of the mountain fog, bits of broom and log moss covering the wet wood. Inuyasha stopped suddenly, loosening his grip on Kagome's thighs.

"Why are you stopping" Kagome questioned as he knelt to deposit her on the loose gravel covering the cliff side. Her aggravation began to boil over when he turned away from her ignoring the question as he looked out over the mountain fissure. "I'm not sure what Naraku is up to..." Her heart skipped a beat as he paused, his voice quiet almost tired as he looked back towards her, gold meeting grey almost pleadingly. _'He's going to leave me.'_

She found her voice as she forced herself to speak only managing to muster a cracked and desperate whisper. "Inuyasha, please...don't go alone, wait for the others if you wont take me." Her voice trailing off as she pleaded with him to wait, to be safe.

"I cant wait!" Kagome shied away from his outburst, his voice no longer quiet as it had been moments before, his anger and desperation finally making it's way to his words as his voice shattered the silence around them. Inuyasha stalled at the look on her face, his hand lifting from his side unconsciously in an attempt to comfort her only to return to his side before she could notice as he realized what he he was doing. He sighed turning away one last time. " He has her, Kagome. For some fucking reason he has her and I have to help her." She felt the fight leave her, her anger fading as her eyes fell from his turned back to the opposite side of the rift. Beyond that ledge Naraku was waiting...Kikyo was waiting.

On the other side of the void was what he wanted, he had always found a way to get to _her_. She admired his devotion even as it broke her heart, even if it was not for her. Above all else she wanted her friend to be happy and for that reason she would never keep him from going.

"Ok..." Inuyasha turned his head, his brows drawn together in disbelief at her consent, staring at her for several long moments before she finally lifted her head. "Just...be careful, ok" Her face lit up with a wide smile, the one that never reached her eyes. Her heart stuttering as she watched Inuyasha's mouth open and close as if to argue. The majority of her being rejoiced as he turned away,leaving without question as he always did, but then again there was that small part, deep down that still held out hope that maybe he would see.

"It's safer here..." Kagome shifted, holding her breath unintentionally waiting to hear what else he had to say but it never came. Instead he gave her one last glance over his shoulder before vaulting off over the chasm, his distorted red figure disappearing into the fog landing somewhere within the thick forest. She stood for several long moments looking out at the place she had last seen him before reluctantly moving to sit beneath an ancient oak. Resting her back against the sturdy tree, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander back to the other side.

All was still, the trees loomed quietly with no breeze to rock them back and forth. All signs of life still halted by the presence of Naraku. There were no signs of danger, no sign that two half demons had come to blows within the darkened forest. No sign of her hanyou and his miko. She looked away, her gaze focused on the earth beneath her, arms draped between her bent knees as she ran her fingers over a small fern distractedly.

Why did it feel like she was always watching him go? Always left behind, useless in a fight, left to wait for him to return...or aching silently as she pretended not to see him sneak off after the soul collectors? Why did she still hold this pointless flame for him when she knew where she stood with him.

_'...as long as he's happy, I...I'll be...'_

She shook her head in disgust, aimed solely at herself, the taste of her thoughts too bittersweet to acknowledge. She abandoned her train of thought focusing instead on the here and now as she turned to gaze at the silent mountain rift, the physical separation of Inuyasha and herself although she felt it wasn't nearly as wide as the one unseen. He was mad at her, or so she felt. Was she as much of a burden to him as she felt? Holding him back from the one thing he really wanted...is that why she was willing to stand by his side even if it hurt, her atonement for a pain she unwittingly caused him?

She supposed maybe she was being dramatic. Lately it seemed she was prone to bouts of melodrama, maybe it was just those damned teen hormones or maybe the fact that she had fallen down a well-being transported five hundred years into the past had something to do with it. That was bound to have some ill effect on her, right?

Her face scrunched as the acrid smell of smoke tickled her nose. _'...smoke?' S_lender fingers reached up to rub away the irritation as she looked toward the sky, finding an unsettling darkness in place of the brilliant mid day sun that should have been shining meerily. Her heart stalled within her as the sky came to life in a flurry of feathered wings, the terrified creatures taking flight abandoning their homes in terror.

She felt her stomach drop as the brush around her came to life with panic. She lifted her gaze towards the tree line they had just traveled through, the smell of smoke growing steadily, her eyes burning as wisps of mists much different then that which surrounded the mountain began to make it's way slowly through the trees. In an instant, it seemed, the horizon lit up as a brilliant haze sparked to life in the distance.

"...fire..."

Her voice came in a breathless whisper as she stumbled back her eyes glued in disbelief to the growing blaze. Her heart dropping as she caught the distorted images of two men sailing overhead, bathed in the savage glow of the raging fire as they lept over the chasm disappearing into the forest on the other side as Inuyasha had done only minutes before.

"Inuyasha..." Her body moved without thought, her foot falls seeming to slow as it often did in dreams, she felt as they pounded against the loose rubble, felt as she made the transition to the dampened wood, the bridge swaying with her careless retreat.

Then she felt it. Her heart frozen as she whipped her head to look back, that odd sense of warmth and ill intent calling for her as she caught his gaze. The hair around her floating in suspended time, watching as the man before her raised a large gourd to his lips, his face contorted into a baleful grin before eyeing her intently, speaking once before gulping a mouthful of liquid from the gourd.

"Stupid bitch."

The ancient rope stood no chance, the wood crackling under the immense heat of his flames as the bridge began to give way falling from under her, leaving her to join them in there free fall. Her chest fluttering as she fell, the wind quickly stealing her breath, her heart pounding in fear as she began her descent. Within minutes she was surrounded by darkness, the face of that man long gone as he leapt over the chasm, what little light left from the misty sky gone with him.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the wind whipped by, her body stilling , falling gracefully as she was seized with a sense of surrender. There was no point in fighting, not this time. This time was different, there was no monk, no kit, no Taijya...no hanyou. There was only her.

_ 'Is this how it ends? All of this...all of this destiny?!'_

Anger welled within her as she squeezed her eyes tighter. All of this talk of destiny, she was the shikon miko, she was going to help destroy Naraku and after two years of fighting to win this was how it ended?

_'No one to be there...to say goodbye...How...Pointless.'_

Time never slowed like they said it did, the moments of her life never replaying. There was only her regret and the sound of the wind as it whipped through her hair. At the last minute she let her eyes flutter open, wanting to see the world, even at its worse, one last time. Grey blue eyes caught the blaze from above wishing it could have been the sun instead,

_'...pointless.'_

_oOo_

"Look, seems this bitch has some fight left in her." The sullen man wandered forward, throwing his halberd to rest on his shoulder as his companion nudged the small form with his foot. He recognized her, she was the girl from earlier. The hanyou's wench, or so he thought, but here she lay broken and bleeding left behind without his protection. He turned away no longer wishing to see her mangled body. "Put an end to it Jakotsu, there's no point to let her lay there like a dog."

Jakotsu eyed his friend wearily before pulling out his jakotsuto.

"No..." The two companions turned at the sound of the deep voice, watching as the mist parted around the approaching figure. "Leave her."

Maroon eyes glimmered from under the white fur cape. "I can find some use in her."

A/N:

Here it is Chapter 1 for Enmity!

I sincerely hope you like it and I just want to warn you all that there may be significant amounts of time between updates but only because I truly want to give the best of my abilities instead of just pumping out stuff just to say I updated.

I want to say thank you to those who have read and reviewed my short prologue and a very special thank you to ChaoticReverie!

Your review left me so encouraged to continue on with this story! You are very right even if I'm not a 'review whore' I do love each and everyone they encourage me greatly and it's nice to know someone else enjoys reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them :)

once again, Thank you guys so much!


	3. Succomb

Ch. 2

Succumb

_'He had his promises to keep.'_

_'What of the promises he made you?'_

Her skin was ashen, the flesh of her lips cracked and dry. Lackluster strands of ebony framing her somber face, stormy eyes reduced to lifeless pools of blue as she gazed into the mirror passively. Her face contorted in distaste at what she saw reflected. If this was a dream why couldn't she envision herself looking a little less...dead. _'But this isn't a dream.' _

The thought quickly slipped from her mind as she returned to her perusal of herself in the mirror humming in dissatisfaction. They really didn't look anything alike.

Despite how often she heard it she just couldn't see what everyone else did, perhaps her reflection lied, but the only likeness she could find was fleeting. Dark hair, dark eyes, pallid skin but nothing more. She was nothing like that ghostly beauty.

_'That's different.'_

Rays of light scattered by the branches of Goshinboku made their way through her window casting the room in a hazy glow. She stood before the mirror unfolding her precious package, holding up the crisp navy fabric, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she held the uniform to her body.

She wasn't like that spectre. No, she was Kagome. Surely he saw that now, didn't he? There was no way he could look at her and mistake her for her preincarnation, especially with this. She smiled once more swaying daintily, the blue scale plaid of her skirt fluttering prettily as she did so.

_'Of course he sees 'you'...isn't that why we're here?'_

She had known it was a fleeting sense of happiness, that was what you bought with delusion, but still she sighed dismally hoping to have bought a few extra moments of counterfeit felicity.

Her smile fell, once more she was left to gaze into the mirror fascinated with the way her eyes darkened with resentment at the words. Was this who she really was? In the recesses of her subconscious, in the darkness...was this what she was?

The voice had floated through the empty spaces, reverberating within her, beckoning to her yet again. She had always tried to ignore it, her now constant and only companion in her purgatory but without fail the voice would call out for her, sweet and alluring. Speaking into the abyss embodying that which Kagome tried so hard to keep locked away.

Those terribly bitter thoughts that had always left a bad taste in her mouth. Thoughts she wished she didn't have, thoughts she wasn't supposed to have. She was a miko, she was meant to be pure of heart not to give into self pity...and bitterness. She wanted to push them away, to be strong but she was beginning to see what others had seen all along. The difference between strength and naivety.

She turned angrily away from the mirror tossing the uniform to the side. Of course he saw her. A weak little girl who stumbled down a well, a child with the face of a ghost reminding him of what he couldn't have. That was why she was here, the hollow of her chest burning with that empty ache once again.

She realized then how exhausted she really was. Had she felt this tired the whole time? Her body felt heavy as she made her way towards her small bed falling into it's comforting embrace. Yes, sleep would be nice, there was a certain comfort in the darkness slumber offered, the kind that promised oblivion. She wanted that comfort, but there was something keeping her from giving in, something that kept her awake.

Dark eyes fluttered behind heavy lids, searching out the source of light before slowly opening once again to gaze towards her window. Sunlight streaming through the glass panes had been just enough to disturb her rest, as dim as it was having filtered through Goshinboku's branches, it was still enough. She closed her eyes once more content to let the light remain, somehow it reminded her of him. That ageless boy who had once slept, pinned to the Goshinboku. She smiled softly, the effort almost too much for her tired body. He was her friend and she his, she knew as much. Their lives had been intertwined long before her birth and maybe even before his.

She was meant to be there with him and their companions. She was meant to be in the feudal era, she really did believe that was her destiny and hers alone. That was her role, her duty, not Kikyo's.

For a moment she found that sense of happiness again, thinking about him. Somehow along the way they became more than just companions. He was never a man of many words but she knew none the less he had found friendship in her just as she had in him. Wasn't that what was most important? Even if he couldn't see her as anything more, he still cherished their friendship. _'He is my friend, my best friend.'_

She could feel the darkness grow heavy once more, pushing at her senses but that steady stream of sunlight kept her rooted in consciousness and she felt as though the darkness was becoming impatient.

_'He was always leaving, always making empty promises.'_

It was true, her dear friend had a habit of leaving, of running off into the night when he believed her to be sleeping. How many times had he risked her life and the lives of their friends, leaving them vulnerable in his absence? Was that what friends did?

She wanted to fight the images of him, those unsavory memories. A nasty resentment building within her as she watched him leave time after time. She hated the way she felt, the ache that grew within when he went to her, the one he loved. She wanted to be happy for him she didn't want to envy her preincarnation but she did and she found that something began to grow inside her heart, something she loathed.

_'Do you think he ever thought to just stay?_

It was sincere, the voice, it wanted to know just as she had. Did he ever think to ignore the call, to stay just for once...for her, but Kagome knew the answer and with silent resignation her voice rang out to join the other.

_'No.'_

Never had the darkness felt so heavy pressing at her from all sides. Had she ever felt this tired? All she wanted was to find peace in rest, but that light...Goshinboku...Inuyasha.

Weakly she fought against the darkness, managing to open her eyes just enough to glimpse the glow from her window, that waning light giving her hope. Funny how the things you find strength in, can sometimes bring you such pain. She couldn't help the breathy whisper that fell from her lips echoing the words that had earlier pierced the darkness. _'He was...always leaving.'_

An otherworldly glow emanated from the window casting the darkened room in a blue mist, replacing the warmth that had been there just moments before. She squeezed her eyes shut angrily. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to forget but that light, that damned light, it would come, it always did and then he would be gone.

_'Why?'_

Why was it that he never stayed? Why was it she was always left to watch him go? Why was it that she was here in this darkness? She knew why, she had always known why. Tears welled in her eyes the darkness waiting patiently for her reply, ready to consume her.

_'Because he loves her'_

_'...are you bitter?'_

The voice rang out shocking Kagome to her core as she sank deeper into the darkness. _'Am I bitter?'_ She knew the answer, that ache that grew within her every time he chose 'her'. She had tried to deny it, she had been ashamed to feel such an emotion. She thought herself above such things. But she was weak, there must have been some part deep within her that fed off the pain. Maybe, somewhere along the way she learned to embrace that empty ache, the one that burned with thoughts of pity and self hate.

Was that what this was?

Her voice wrung out amidst the void, a certain finality in the words she chose and she knew with no uncertainty what it would mean to say them out loud.

_"Yes...yes, I am...I am bitter."_

_"very well."_

It was suffocating and all consuming, stealing the air from her lungs but she was right, there was comfort in the darkness. She closed her eyes as the darkness swallowed her, her mind fuzzy as consciousness faded. No longer did she need to see that ethereal light, no longer did she need to watch him go.

_'Your friendship meant nothing to him...he __let__ you die...for her.'_

There was peace in the darkness and she welcomed it.

oOo

"She has succumbed to her. It may take a few minutes before body functions resume." The old hag busied herself wiping away the remnants of fever from the girls brow. She lay motionless, the rise and fall of her chest had ceased and Kagura could no longer hear the feeble beating of her heart.

Crimson eyes focused on the lifeless priestess, a young girl, battered and bruised but healing and when she awoke all traces of trauma would be erased from her body, of that she was sure. Kagura placed her fan before her lips, never taking her eyes away from the young girl. She let her voice break the silence. "Kanna, let him know."

She knew Naraku had to be pleased with himself, the miko having finally succumbed to the unceasing struggle for her body and soul. She had to admit the girl put up a good fight, five lunar cycles she lay here fighting against a foreign presence, but in the end she lost. Her body no longer hers. Now she would know what it was to be Naraku's puppet.

The air in the room sparked with bursts of energy drawing Kagura from her thoughts. True to the witch's word the rise and fall of her chest resumed, the room echoing with the sound of frantic beating as her heart kick started. Her body reclaiming it's porcelain complexion no longer mangled and disfigured by bruises and lacerations as the foreign power surged through her. It was undeniable, the difference in her aura, it was clear that Naraku had achieved what he had set out to accomplish.

"Impressive isn't it?" Kagura snapped her fan closed letting it fall to her side carelessly as Naraku made his way beside her, watching Naraku's face as he reveled in the girls state. It was disgusting, to see such a look of pure joy on a face such as his. "What will you do now?

The dark hanyou smirked his eyes filled with mirth. "She is a blank slate now, Kagura. Tsukimono has done its job and now she is mine to mold."

The two watched as the old witch held her palms above the now slumbering form. "Just as you desired, Naraku. The girl is still very much present."

Kagura narrowed her eyes questioningly. "Is that really a good idea?"

It was the witch's turn to speak as she continued to fuss over Kagome's prone body. No doubt there would be a lot of work when she awoke, having lain immobile for months on end. A sponge bath could only do so much.

"This is not a simple possession. This tsukimono is...a vengeful spirit. Borne from betrayal...deceit. The feelings those things create can do a great many things to a human spirit. Those emotions can warp us even change us overtime." The old woman paused for a moment, lost in thought before continuing on. "What darkness that girl had has now been warped, her memories, though they remain will be altered by those emotions, it is now the tsukimono's immense bitterness that will drive her. The girl is there but her darkness has become the spirit's."

The wind sorceress gave a small hum in reply not completely understanding the old hag, but then again she took very little interest in Naraku's plans if they didn't directly involve her. Flicking her fan open before placing it before her mouth once more she gave the girl one last look. There was a part of her that pitied the girl, when she awoke she would truly be a caged bird. She would know how it felt to be a puppet at Naraku's disposal. Kagura turned, happy to leave Naraku to his revelry, his plans having come to perverse fruition.

She stopped short as Naraku's deep voice wrung out in something akin to laughter. "Tell me Kagura...What would tear at that bastard more, Kagome forgetting him or hating him?" Kagura didn't bother with an answer, Naraku's coarse laughter reverberating through thin paper screens as she made her way out.

_'She should have died.'_

oOo

It was twilight she noted as she glanced out the open shoji, the afterglow of the evening sun slowly fading into the darkness. The stars were looking particularly lovely tonight she mused as she forced herself to take yet another sip of the bitter brew.

"Are you tired?" Kagome looked towards the aged voice listlessly as she shook her head. "No." The old woman nodded her head as she made to slide the shoji, shutting out the early autumn breeze. Kagome silently mourned the loss of the crisp air as she shifted uncomfortably in the oversized yukata, obviously meant for another.

"You'll have new clothes soon enough." Kagome worried her bottom lip giving a low hum in reply. The woman's tone of voice implied she didn't wish to speak anymore and honestly neither did she.

She watched calmly as the old woman busied herself laying out a fresh futon, new sheets and coverings added one after the other. Kagome took a small sip of tea, the woman deciding in that moment she was done. Heading out of the shoji with a curt nod before sliding it closed once again.

Strands of hair fell forward as she stooped over sluggishly looking into the small cup she held in her lap, her reflection distorted in the brackish liquid. She was tired but she wouldn't sleep, not yet. Silently she mulled over the last of her memories trying to make sense of everything, how she had come to be in this place. The words she woke to.

_'Your friendship meant nothing to him... '_

Kagome huffed in a rather unladylike manner forcing a small cloud of steam to waft from the cup to her face.

_'...he __let__ you die...for her.'_

The somber reflection within the cup morphed, the wandering look within her eyes fading as the fog within her mind began to clear. Fierce resentment taking hold where uncertainty once was. She remembered, she had died.

_"Inuyasha, please...don't go alone, wait for the others if you won't take me." Her voice trailing off as she pleaded with him to wait, to be safe._

_"I can't wait!" Kagome shied away from his outburst, his voice no longer quiet as it had been moments before, his anger and desperation finally making its way to his words as his voice shattered the silence around them. He sighed turning away one last time. " He has her, Kagome. For some fucking reason he has her and I have to help her." _

Passion rose within her as she stared into the cup. She could feel the heat of the fire as it scorched the wood and licked her skin, the sound of weak rope snapping, the feeling of free falling. The utter disappointment she felt as her body raced to meet the ground below.

_"It's safer here..."_

Her body trembled as she recalled that day, a tiny voice whispering resolutely in her ear. _'He knew it was a trap, you both knew...but he was willing to risk it...for her.'_

_ 'He...' _Her jaw clenched tightly unable to keep her body from quaking with anger, her eyes glossing over as she stared intensely at something only she could see. _'...did. He let me die!' _Images of him flying over the great rift, leaving her on the other side flashed through her mind.

_"He is after the specter. The miko, Kikyo." _

_ The memory of Kagura's voice as she relayed that damned warning, the one that sealed her fate. A familiar moisture collected at the rim of her dark eyes as she became lost within her memories. __'For her!'__ Her shrill cry ringing through her mind as she lost the battle with the angry tears. _

_ A blur of white fabric and ebony hair accompanied the sudden sound of shattering pottery as the small cup smashed against a wooden beam. She stood silently looking down at her small hands as they shook, an uncontrollable tremor running deep beneath the pale and calloused skin. _

She let out a pitiful whimper as her knees weakened, unused to carrying her own weight, she fell to the floor the outburst having drained what little energy she had. Her body doubled over as she placed her hands on the floor allowing a dark curtain of hair to engulf her as she bent her head. "...Why?"

For several long moments she stayed like that separated from the world by a wall of black, staring blankly at the smooth wood beneath her hands before something settled within her.

With a long sigh Kagome pushed herself onto all fours, crawling, closing the short distance between her and the screen the old woman had closed earlier. With a small click she reopened it falling carefully onto her back to look up at the great expanse.

The sky was clear, stars glimmering against the inky blackness of the night sky. One could easily lose themselves in the heavens, the stars shimmering like the beat of a steady pulse. This, decidedly, was her most favorite part about being here, in the feudal era, where very little remained in the way of simple pleasures.

She breathed deeply closing her eyes for a moment, hands held loosely atop her stomach. In this era, everywhere she looked there was death, famine, disease. This era took life and it had even taken hers. Dark eyes opened becoming lost among the shimmering bodies of light. Sometimes she wondered if a beautiful night sky was worth all that misery.

Pale fingers reached up towards the heavens, connecting the dots as she traced the constellations. She had died that day, she knew she had so why was she still here when she would so much rather be among those glimmering stars.

Was she like those mercenaries, the ones brought back by Naraku? Her soul forced into an earthenware body. Her hand fell to her chest feeling the steady beating of her heart. No, hers was a flesh and blood body, living and breathing. Somehow, she had been restored.

Slowly her eyes began to fall shut, the peaceful lull of the night calling for her to rest beneath the stars. Weakly she lifted her body sliding the shoji shut and shuffling towards the futton falling in and burying herself among the many covers.

There was still a great deal she needed to know but they could wait. She was uneasy but she could sense no ill will towards her and she was still so tired. She yawned, her eyes growing heavy once more. She smiled groggily, her fatigue proving yet again how alive she was. _'See...I am not like her.'_

oOo

Violet eyes watched silently from the fireside the sound of crunching foliage drawing his attention towards the tree line. He was out there again, pacing endlessly. Looking for something he wouldn't find, at least not here. Miroku turned back towards the small fire choosing to ignore the restless wandering of his companion.

He had come to accept it as part of their routine. During the day he would push them, drive them until well after the sun set. He had become withdrawn speaking only when necessary even his infamous temper had seemed subdued since the girl had gone missing.

They would wander across the countryside in silence until he would finally concede defeat for yet another day. They would set up camp for the night, eat and rest. The hanyou would only join them ever so often and only at the constant begging of the small kit. Had he developed a soft spot for the kit knowing that that's what Kagome would want or was it something else, Miroku couldn't be sure.

Miroku sighed, thinking of the odd girl always left a deep feeling of unease, a feeling that only increased with each passing day. Kagome had been his friend as well, she was strong in her own way but she was by no means invincible . He didn't want to think of the probabilities of what could befall a young and beautiful woman left to defend herself if she was still even capable of defending herself. it was much easier to hold out hope that she was ok. But she was human and she was frail and as such could easily be broken beyond repair.

Sango and he had both silently shared the same thought and he knew it killed her as well. Kagome had been her best friend, someone she could confide in and she had been angry when she learned she had been taken away. She was just as eager as the hanyou to search her out but unlike him she realized how unlikely it was. It wasn't easy by any means but she poured all of her energy into finishing what her dear friend had started. She would honor her memory and perhaps one day she would be allowed to avenge her dear friends fate.

Miroku allowed his eyes to fall closed listening to the sounds of the night, whispering a short prayer for his friends soul as the night's chorus lulled him to rest, the sound of steady footsteps lasting long after sleep claimed him.

oOo

She woke with a start a familiar warmth washing over her, seeping through sleep and bleeding into her dreams turning them to nightmares. It called to her, the chunk of jewel steeped in that blackened aura. Somehow she wasn't surprised that he was the one behind this. She could sense him lurking in the darkness just beyond the shadows.

She lifted her head high, back stiff as his presence burned against her consciousness. She wondered for a moment when she realized she felt no fear in waking when in her dreams she had been seized with fear at what this dark being could do. Now all she could manage was irritation and...indifference?

"Naraku..." She turned to face the shadows, unyielding. As weak as she was she would never allow him to see her broken. The air sparked as he moved from the blackness the shadows taking form in the shape of a man. "I'm glad to see you awake, Kagome."

She kept her composure as the tall figure moved ever closer circling around her appraisingly once then twice before coming to a stop before her. "I wasn't so sure you would make it...Human bodies are so frail after all."

She refused to meet his gaze her eyes stubbornly fixed to the blank wall ahead, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Without warning she found herself eye to eye with him. His harsh grip unbecoming of the smooth skin of noble unworked hands.

She met his gaze with fierce determination a dull ache beginning to form under his severe grip, a perverse smirk forming as he leaned closer, the heat of his breath fanning across her face.

"I can see why he had such a hard time between the two of you." Dark eyes glared as he turned her face to the side, eyes wandering the expanse of her bare neck. "A double for his dead lover...made of living ...heated flesh..."

Kagome fought to hold back her ire as his face ghosted along her neck, his words heady as he breathed in deeply. "A willing body to fuck in lieu of her cold one." His smile widened as he felt her body tremble.

Black hair tousled wildly as she tried to jerk free, his grip unfaltering. Her dark eyes ablaze with the anger she tried to hide. Her voice strained but deliberate as she met his gaze defiantly. "I am -not- Kikyo..."

She glared as he brought her face closer, a look of pure delight twisting his features. "Of course you aren't...in the end he still preferred her corpse to you."

_'...he __let__ you die...for her.'_

Naraku pulled away, only slightly disappointed in the lack of response from the miko, but he was satisfied just the same to see the pain in her eyes. He allowed Kagome to pull free from his grasp as she wrenched her head once again, the dark hanyou content to watch her as she fell to the floor.

"What do you want, Naraku?" Dark eyes pinned him as she looked up through a curtain of tangled hair.

"The same thing you want." She lifted her head, gaze unwavering as she sat straight. "You don't know what I want." Naraku turned to face her once again. "I know exactly what you want, Kagome. I've seen that darkness inside of you."

For only a moment she felt remorse at his statement but it was fleeting and quickly replaced with fervid hatred. _'My darkness...'_

He was able to hide his satisfied grin as she lifted her pale face, dark eyes seeking him out, Intense hatred setting those eyes aflame. It was apparent that all those months spent waiting had paid off. That vengeful spirirt had done her job well allowing the darkness to consume the former miko. He could no longer even sense Kagome's dormant spiritual powers.

"We both desire the same thing." He watched as her eyes hardened, annoyed at his stalling. He laughed inwardly, turning away from the girl as he moved towards the shoji and sliding it open. There was no need to answer her, she already knew.

Kagome watched from her place on the floor as the dark hanyou walked away silently. _'Asshole!'_ She couldn't help the small growl that rose from her throat, born of frustration and anger at being ignored only to be surprised as he stopped and turned once again towards her.

There was satisfaction in seeing her sitting there on that cold wooden floor, drowning in the oversized yukata. Raven hair falling wildly around her face, the look of hatred that burned in her eyes. She was his now and he would use her to the fullest extent.

He had nothing to tie her to him like the others, no tainted jewel shards to maintain her life but he didn't need one. The possession would lend her strength and abilities a human could not posses, but she was still weaker than he and without her spiritual power she was no threat.

He didn't need to extort her like the others, he would make her want what he did just as badly. "As long as you help me, Kagome, I will help you." He didn't need to hear her answer, he knew she would accept. That burning flame in her gaze was answer enough.

oOo

She awoke the next morning and just as the woman had promised she had been supplied with a new wardrobe. She had stared emotionless at the pile of crimson and white fabric. That bastard knew exactly where her insecurities lie and he wasn't above playing upon them. She reached nimbly for the bundle growling angrily as she tossed the cursed red and white fabric into the fire pit.

She was content to watch the fabric burn, her eyes watering from the resulting smoke. She turned away making her way towards the futton, allowing herself to fall to her knees. She sat quietly, her eyes wandering the large room, landing on a bright yellow lump in the corner.

She smiled, happily hopping up and walking across the cold wooden floor towards the large backpack, grabbing it and quickly making her way back to the warmth of the futton. She smiled brightly remembering her home on the other side of the well. Her mother, souta and jiji. She reached inside pulling out the folded navy cotton, placing it reverently on the futton, smoothing it out before adding the pleated skirt.

She had come here innocent and naïve wearing the green and white of her childhood but now...now she had grown she had seen the world for what it was, cruel, hateful, unfaithful. It was only fitting to adopt the dark uniform.

She giggled gleefully as she lifted the uniform to her body, swaying gently. This was the only thing that really suited her.

A/N:

Just to make things clear, Kagome has been unconscious for five months. That's five months of Naraku trying to posses her using the spirit of the tsukimono before she finally gives in. If you guys have any questions or are unclear about anything you're always welcome to message me.

*tsukimono roughly translates into 'Possessing thing'.

Hope you guys enjoy :)


	4. Bait

Ch. 3

Bait

_"O serpent heart with a flowering face!_

_Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?_

_Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelic, dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb!_

_Despised substance of divinest show, just opposite to what thou justly seem'st._

_A damned saint, an honorable villain!"_

_William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, scene 2_

Darkness swirled, a mass of flesh and bone writhed and quivered, warring and melding at the will of their master, a handsome face in an undulating sea of parceled bodies. All was right within his dark little web, every thread had been perfectly placed, even a precious bit of bait lay at the center, courtesy of the inu half breed.

He smiled wickedly, his handsome features highlighted by the light of the small floating orb before him. Naraku watched happily as the figures moved within, despondent and very nearly disbanded altogether. It was pathetic the way the half breed ransacked the country side in his frenzy, running the humans ragged as he searched all of musashi for what he had lost. The coward, he couldn't even bring himself to admit to them he was at fault. That he had been the reason for her disappearance.

It had all been too perfect, Inuyasha himself had delivered to him the most valuable weapon and he was eager to put it to good use. The time would come soon enough but in the mean time he would keep watch over the sad group.

" What gods did you anger, Inuyasha, that you are cursed to lose everything that is precious to you. That your retribution be your own foolishness? You are too dense to see you are the one who hinders your happiness. You don't even realize what you have done to her."

A low rumble bloomed from his chest as a deep chuckle joined the symphony of colliding flesh. "Kagome."

There had awakened something lascivious within him, a carnal inverse to his dark ruthlessness. Her pale skin, raven hair and fiery distaste for him beckoned to that corporal side. The flustered look on her face while in those states of disorientation caused by her possession. The feral look in her eyes at the mention of the hanyou's name, begged for him unwittingly.

Oh so fragrant was his bit of bait, it wouldn't take much for her to draw them in.

oOo

Sunlight gleamed harshly off the sharpened metal, highlighting a crimson trail of blood as a calloused finger ran the length experimentally. The scrutinizing gaze softening in approval as a small smirk formed at the evidence of his handiwork. "Perfect."

Bankotsu patted the hulking halberd lovingly before sitting it beside him in the lush summer grass. With nothing better to do he took to watching the field below, the grass swaying lazily in the warm breeze. His smirk widened as he closed his eyes enjoying the warm rays of the sun as he fell back into the grass.

He had to admit being dead and subsequently resurrected really did give you an appreciation for the little things. Things he would have never thought twice about in his first life. Like lazy summer days and the freedom to do what he pleased, the latter of which had been something he took for granted before being resurrected, before Naraku and his never ending errands.

But today there were no errands, no Naraku. The half demon having left at some point during the early morning hours. The wind witch had mentioned in passing that it was something the dark hanyou did ever so often. Closing himself off somewhere, hidden for a short period of time before returning 'new and improved'. If that was the case he could only guess Naraku planned to make a move sooner rather than later.

He shifted lazily bringing his arm to rest over his eyes, blocking out the sun's rays as he waited. It just so happened that it was market day in the village not too far east from them. The village was large which boded well for the variety and quality of the merchants and their wares. He had no interest in such things of course but it was a welcome sight for Jakotsu, who did so love a good market day.

So with Jakotsu off enjoying himself in town and Renkotsu sequestered in solitude as he was prone to do after the resurrection, he had been left to make his own plans which consisted of doing nothing, laying in the summer sun. _'...here she comes...'_

"You're so damned heavy footed."

"Dammit!"

Bankostu gave a low grunt of displeasure shaking his head from beneath his arm. "You're hopeless." The young girl made her way to where he lay, plopping to the ground cheerlessly. "Am I really that bad?" There was a hopeful look in her eyes as he turned his head towards her, his arm still guarding his eyes from the sun's rays. "Yes."

He returned to his previous position, his free hand moving to scratch at a spot on his neck. "I don't know what Naraku expects me ta do with you, I'm no conjurer." Her soft sigh irked him and he was prepared for the denial to spill forth only to be surprised when she made no move to continue the conversation.

Yeah, she still needed practice, a lot of practice but she wasn't nearly as hopeless as he and the others had first thought. She showed great aptitude, for a girl. She was small and there wasn't much to her which made it easy for opponents to underestimate her which ultimately led to many easy victories for her. It was easy to forget what she harbored inside, what power she had been given and he learned early on not to underestimate the girl.

When she had awoken Naraku made it clear she was to be trained and not one among them desired the position. With Kagura too busy scheming, Jakotsu not one for feminine company and Renkotsu not one for company in general, left him to accept the task, begrudgingly.

After almost a year of training and fine tuning her skills, her abilities had become decent enough and he was surprised at how little he detested the girl's presence. He had even come to tolerate her company although he caught her many times looking dazed and uncertain. Apart from those episodes she had a cheerful disposition which suited his general optimism quite well.

"Why are you still here?" He asked, annoyed at the sound she made as she picked at her nails thoughtlessly. "Well everyone's gone...and I'm bored."

"Why don't you go down to the markets? You're a girl, aren't you supposed to like those kinds of things?"

"Not necessarily..." He was sure she thought he couldn't see the sour face she made at him as she stuck her tongue out like a child. _'...bitch.' _

"...and besides, I don't have any money."

"You have TWO wakizashi, you don't need money." She bristled, frowning deeply at his response. She was many things, but a thief was not one.

"Get up." Kagome looked at him petulantly, obviously feeling quite stubborn. "Why should I?" Bankotsu raised an eyebrow irritably. "In one of your scrappy moods I see. Stop being so difficult and just listen to your elders, girl."

Dark eyes shot open. "What are you talking about 'elders'? I'm just as old as you!"

"I have sixty seven years on you, girl."

She looked as if she would argue but instead she pushed herself off the ground, brushing off her skirt irritably only to reply snidely as she turned. "Years spent being dead doesn't count."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes ignoring the jab, rolling over and reaching for Banryu before standing and quickly catching a glimpse of her twin blades. "Kagura said Naraku was modifying and if that's true I'm sure he's planning something." Plunging his halberd into the dirt he pulled out the katana he used to train with her. "Since you ain't got nothing better ta do, might as well put in some practice."

He swung the blade experimentally watching as kagome pulled hers free from their sheaths wasting no time as she sprung forward. Bankotsu smirked at the girl as metal collided against metal sending sparks into the air.

oOo

Jakotsu had returned just as Bankotsu had expected, moderately inebriated and anxious to show off his spoils. Bankotsu silently thanked the gods for sparing him as Jakotsu stumbled right past him and onto the young girl smiling brightly if not forcibly.

That had been an hour ago and Jakotsu's drunken prattle hadn't ceased since, keeping Kagome fully occupied with talk of fabrics and jewelry and other girly thing, but she didn't seem to mind indulging him.

Aided by the firelight and last rays of the setting sun he worked on re wrapping the hilt of her second wakizashi. He had insisted on repairing the two blades himself, sharpening and re wrapping the dark blue ito around their hilts. He was almost done and it was a good thing too, since Jakotsu was the type who liked to encourage drinking in others and had already coerced a few drinks into Bankotsu's system.

Jakotsu had of course tried to persuade the girl to join in the fun only to have her politely decline multiple times. That of course suited Jakotsu none too well and she only managed to get some peace by taking the jug and feigning a large gulp even adding an exaggerated sour face to boot greatly appeasing the inebriated man and eliciting an amused snicker from the other.

Pleased with his success, Jakotsu turned to busy himself, digging through the pile of fabrics allowing Kagome to scoot to a safer distance, sending Bankotsu a wrathful glare. "Thanks for helping." The blue eyed boy turned back to his work smirking at the girl's irritation and brushing her off with a wave of his hand. "Better you than me."

He could just see her behind him, crossing her arms and throwing her nose up in the air. _'bullheaded woman.' _The old shoji screen rattled before sliding open, signaling an end to the cheery mood. Renkotsu possessing the incredible ability to smother a good mood with just his presence.

"Jakotsu...Bankotsu." He nodded his head as he regarded the two. "I think I'll turn in now." Kagome's soft voice broke the silence as she moved to her feet, her displeasure evident. Jakotsu immediately protested her departure as she made her way across the tatami floor. Renkotsu stopping her unceremoniously with a curt greeting as she passed him by. "...Kagome."

She responded with a glare but greeted him all the same. "Renkotsu." Turning quickly, obligatory civility rendered. Stopping short before opening the shoji. "I'll come back for them tomorrow..." She motioned to the twin blades. "Thank you." With that she left.

Jakotsu threw himself on the pile of fabrics dramatically, his disheveled hair covering most of his face as he moaned. "We were just starting to have fun..." He looked up towards Renkotsu, pouting as he slurred. "She really don't like you."

Renkotsu snorted unfazed.

"I didn't realize we were adopting more members." Bankotsu spared him a side glance. "We aren't."

Renkotsu nodded his head, conceding to his young leader. "I apologize. I must have misinterpreted..."

Bankotsu didn't miss Renkotsu's brief inspection of the blade before the older man quickly excused himself.

oOo

Bankotsu made his way through the overgrown courtyard, the sun having set long ago casting Naraku's temporary hideout into darkness . His hand tightening around the weight of the wakizashi as his mind wandered. Almost from the time she had awoken, Kagome had showed a dislike for Renkotsu and it made him wonder if she remembered her death.

He remembered his after all.

He looked up finding her room easily among the darkness, a solitary glow standing out in the moonless night. It had been late when he set out but he knew she wouldn't be asleep, having seen her form through the illuminated screen often while on his nightly patrols.

She stayed up reading, most nights, the bound parchment she pulled from her tattered yellow rucksack. She called them books.

He knocked softly on the wooden frame before sliding the screen open, Kagome looking up from her reading as he let himself in. "I told you I would come back for them tomorrow."

He scowled slightly as he bent, placing her blades beside the large bag. "You should have them at all times."

Kagome frowned. "It's just one night."

"Things can change quickly, Kagome." His words sober as she looked to him. Dark blue eyes meeting with her stormy grays sternly

"Especially with Naraku."

oOo

Inuyasha peered through the shadowed forest from the cover of a long forgotten shrine. The night sky was lacking, the brightest of the night's celestial bodies absent once again. He stood in silence at the timeworn entrance, Sango and Miroku allowing him his introversion as they sat comfortably beside the fire.

He thought of her as he often did, wondering if 'she' was somewhere underneath the same night sky. _'Even if she was, it may as well be worlds away.'_

He lowered his head turning instead to lean against a sturdy beam. It may even be a different world altogether. He clenched his fists, cursing the bluntness of his human nails.

There had been so many damn close calls with her but he had always, always been there in time. No matter what he did she was in danger. Her stubbornness putting her in unnecessary danger during battles and leaving her behind left her vulnerable. There had only ever been one way to keep her safe, but he had been much too selfish to let her go.

In the end she was still taken from him...he would rather have sent her back, sealing the well never to see her again. Knowing she was safe...alive. All he had now was the memory of her hollow smile a burned bridge, the feint scent of her blood on the wind and the knowledge that he had done this to her.

That's why he couldn't accept that she was lost for good, even when the others had. He would spend the rest of his days searching for her and atoning for whatever fate he had consigned her to.

She had been his first true and best friend and he had betrayed her, the one person who really deserved his loyalty.

oOo

"Get up." Kagome roused suddenly, Kagura tossing a sheer white yukata onto her futon. "He wants you to wear this." The young girl looked up, dark eyes questioning the demoness.

"It's time."

She did as she was told, wrapping her bare skin in the gauzy gown, looking out towards the waxing moon.

It had only been a week since Naraku's return.

A/N:

I'm really trying to stay true to Rumiko's characters as far as their personality goes. Obviously it will be inevitable that the characters are 'out of character' since this story is a divergence, but other than the obvious personality changes due to circumstance I'm going to try to keep them in character.

I'll be honest it was a little tempting to write Bankotsu as rough and cold towards Kagome but his personality is more laid back and generally optimistic although not so much towards his enemies and seeing as Kagome is now basically his pupil, well you get the idea.

*By the way this chapter takes place ten months after Kagome's awakening.

*Wakizashi is a Japanese sword shorter than the Katana.

Hope you guys enjoy


	5. Whispers

ch.4

Whispers

"Stars, hide your fires; Let not the light see my black and deep desires."  
― William Shakespeare, _Macbeth_

_ "...please..." Her frail body shivered, her small whimpers almost deafening in the tiny room, drowning out the sound of night . She fought against the weakness, the mysterious illness that had stolen her health, struggling as she fought to breath. She was sick, had been for several days, days that had seemed to stretch on for eternity as she lay within the dark and cluttered confines of the spare room. _

_ The days drew on and with each passing sunset she lost just a bit more, the movements within her lessening with each passing day until they had ceased altogether. " Nooo!" Long strands of black hair fanned out against the futon, her head falling back as she cried out in anguish, the bitter smell of blood filling the room despite her pleas. _

_ "Sister, tell me...what can I do?." The young girl's voice was frightened and desperate as she watched her sister suffer, unable to do anything but offer her comfort._

_ "...nothing...we can do nothing." The woman wailed inconsolably, her chosen words having been a reluctant and painful acknowledgement of her wretched reality. Weak hands trembled uncontrollably, laying tenderly over the now dreadfully still swell of her stomach, another desperate cry filling the room._

oOo

"...and they refuse to leave their huts after nightfall. "

Inuyasha leaned closer, keeping his body pressed tightly to the side of the building making sure to keep himself hidden in the shadows. His claws digging lightly into the warm wood as he silently willed the old blacksmith to finish.

" If it ain't no demon I don't see why they're so afraid? Don't make no sense to me, a spirit ain't no reason to start shuttin' yourself in."

A scowl graced the hanyou's features. _"Just a spirit."_ With a low scoff he pushed off the wall ready to make his way back. Their hushed conversation had sounded promising at first, the blacksmith's whispered retelling of 'disturbing and strange' events in a neighboring town instantly peaking his interest, but now it seemed it was just another ghost story.

Inuyasha looked to the sky, the moon hidden behind a screen of dark night clouds. _"Should have known." _ His scowl deepened as he threw a tattered bag over his shoulder

"It's not just that." Sensitive ears registered the other mans incredulous snort drawing the hanyou's attention back to the two men. "Oh, come on, Eiji! They're just a buncha superstitious fools n now they got you paranoid o some ghost!"

Inuyasha scoffed one white ear flicking as he turned around once again.

"It's an evil spirit!"

Any man could claim a spirit to be evil but it was difficult to fake fear at least enough to fool a hanyou. He could hear it, smell it on the man and his fear was genuine regardless of whether or not the rumor was.

"an evil spirit..."

He spoke lowly, his mind preoccupied, missing the other man's retort entirely as he moved from the shadows. He made his way silently around the wooden hut and onto an empty side road leading to the town's only inn.

He was a fool for considering it but then again It had been a hell of a long time since they heard any rumors worthwhile and he wasn't going to let any pass through his fingers this time around. He would make sure they followed any and every lead.

oOo

The hot summer sun shone relentlessly, warming an already heated countryside. Dust billowing angrily with each step as the wearied trio walked the time worn path, clouds of baked earth rising up to cover their heated skin in a layer of grime.

Inuyasha lifted his head towards the sky, squinting his sensitive eyes as he brushed plastered bangs from his heated skin, ears flicking tiredly at the distant sound of a human settlement.

"Over that hill."

There was no reply as the other two members of the group tiredly continued forward, leaving the withdrawn hanyou to his thoughts. Amber eyes followed the two as they walked ahead, his clawed hand reaching unconsciously for the worn hilt of his sword as he casually scanned their surroundings.

Dubbing it safe he let his head fall, watching his feet as they loosened more of the dry earth. It had all seemed so pointless, there had been no rumors since the end of the previous summer, no jewel shards, no Naraku. They had no leads to follow and so their 'search' had morphed into hopeful wandering until one day when it had become just wandering.

Their search had taken them farther and farther away from Kaede's village and with each time they set out he knew the trek would demand more than the last. It was four months after her disappearance that Inuyasha reluctantly made the decision to leave the youngest member of their group in Kaede's care.

The others had understood too, Knowing their search now demanded more than Shippou could give. That had been well before winter could fully take hold and they had only returned once since then in mid spring. Now, they traveled through dried fields under the heat of the late summer sun.

He drew in a deep breath, brushing damp bangs from his forehead yet again. There was only one thing that made this day different from the others.

He furrowed his brow lowering his head once again, his thoughts bitter. _'ghost stories...'_

As much as he wanted it to mean something he still felt as if he was grasping at passing shapes in mist, struggling to grab hold of something that wasn't really there. At least it let them feel as if they had a goal.

A welcomed breeze flowed through the field, cooling his heated skin and drawing him from his thoughts momentarily. He looked out towards the distance and could see the feint outline of mountains gracing the horizon.

He could feel a shift, sense a change and he wandered if it meant the end for them, if he would soon find himself traveling alone once again. He wouldn't blame them, they had stayed much longer than he deserved.

oOo

"I apologize for keeping you waiting." The headman spoke, nodding towards his two guests in greeting. Both travelers nodded in return before Miroku spoke. "No apologies are needed, we gave no notice of our arrival."

"hmm" The headman nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. "What is it I can do for you and the young lady, Houshi-sama?"

"We traveled through a village just south of yours last night. While there, my friend had heard rumors...Rumors of a spirit."

"Ha..." His smile was half hearted and strained but it portrayed a sort of resentful amusement. "Rumor, indeed travels like fire." The two watched as the headman moved about restlessly.

"I'm surprised you traveled here after hearing the rumors, not many people wish to stay the night in a village plagued by spirits." He paused a moment shifting his weight and turning to address Miroku directly"The rumors your friend heard are indeed true, Houshi -sama."

"What can you tell us about the spirit?" Sango spoke softly eager to know details about the supposed spirit.

"I can tell you it appears only after the sun has set, that it wanders through our forest." He turned his body towards them, hands still clasped tightly behind his back. "Some who have seen it say it whispers and sings."

"A spirit that sings?...I could imagine things far worse that could be in your forest." Miroku's eyes narrowed in question as he spoke. "Why does this village fear the spirit so, why hide within your homes?

The headman sighed and smiled ruefully. "The people who live within this village are afraid. They've heard of the demons that had been plaguing the land and they fear that this spirit is a sign of things to come."

"Do...you not fear it?" Sango asked.

"No, I do not fear the spirit. As Houshi-sama said, there are worse things that could be in that forest and as of yet it has shown no ill will. But things like that don't matter when people are afraid."

Miroku and Sango nodded, understanding how fear could cloud the mind.

"Although I do not fear it myself, I still wish for the spirit to be exorcised. I had already asked a local houshi to perform an exorcism, but he returned claiming the spirit could not be exorcised."

Sango shot Miroku a meaningful look and he easily interpreted it for what it was. "I would be willing to help."

The headman shook his head. "For what fee? We are a poor village, Houshi-sama."

"We would be happy to help, no charge." Sango spoke as she readjusted the hiraikotsu pointedly, the headman quickly bowed in realization. How could he have missed such a massive weapon?

"I apologize, Taijya. I did not realize."

Sango only nodded in pardon.

"I do not mean to question your abilities..." He paused looking towards both his guests. "...either of you, but what if the monk was right? What will happen if it can not be exorcised?"

"Any spirit can be exorcised. But even if, for some reason, we we are unable to, our companion would be sure to...exterminate the problem."

oOo

Miroku wandered through the small village, watching as the sun made its way across the sky. The headman had told them that the spirit didn't appear until after sunset and had suggested that they rest before confronting the spirit, a suggestion Sango had taken to heart. Inuyasha was sitting in solitude, brooding no doubt leaving him to survey the area alone.

After speaking more with the headman they had learned that no villagers had died recently, dismissing their theory that the spirit could be attributed to any villagers that had passed on.

He knew for a fact, though, of how many lives could be taken within a forest, be it by bandits, roaming soldiers or even low level demons. He had come across his fair share of lonely lifeless bodies in his own wanderings and he wouldn't be at all surprised if one of them had become a restless spirit.

_"It whispers and sings... " _Miroku frowned at the memory, his hand tightened around the warm staff of his shakujo as he climbed up a small incline. He could understand the headman's desire to have the spirit gone even if it seemed to cause no real danger, the people in the village still feared it and there wouldn't be any true peace until the spirit was put to rest.

Already the streets were empty, the villagers having gone into hiding within their homes for the night before the sun even begun to touch the horizon. He could see now why the headman looked so tired, these people were obviously afraid and fearful people often turned towards those who they think will help.

He watched the sun as it continued its descent further and further towards horizon. The evening cooling only fractionally with the loss of the constant sunlight, the breeze was still warm and the air still humid. Miroku wiped the sweat from his forehead as he followed the sun's descent, the forest below seemingly silhouetted against the light of the setting sun.

His breathing calmed as he focused his mind, allowing his senses to stretch out in searching tendrils. He could sense the steady pulse of the trees and brush, the warmth of tiny, rapid heartbeats as small game moved within the forest.

There was really nothing but the overly warm breeze and the absolute silence within the village itself that left him feeling uncomfortable. No trace of an aura good nor bad, no feeling of dread as he reached out for the gentle pulse of the wildwood.

He breathed in the smell of pine and sap, it was peaceful and melancholy, not unusual for a forest said to be home to a restless spirit. It seemed like it really was just a lonely spirit, a ghost story as Inuyasha had put it.

This job was far below their skill level, something they would have passed up before everything. Judging from the lack of any sort of aura the spirit would be easily put to rest, with even just a basic knowledge of exorcism. It didn't matter now though, they couldn't really afford to be critical of the leads they followed when there were none.

Purple robes rustled as Mirkou worked his way back down the small incline he had earlier climbed up, his shakujo providing support as he made the small descent. The sun was falling ever closer towards the horizon and he guessed that the three of them would have about an hour or so before they had to set out into the forest.

He did recall the headman making some sort of promise about providing a meal before they left to complete the 'task' and he intended on keeping him to it.

"Can't perform an exorcism on an empty stomach." He spoke to himself jokingly. Brushing a small bit of dust from his robes he walked down the empty street once again.

"Houshi-sama..." Miroku turned his head, the sound of foreign footsteps amplified by the crushing of dry and brittle earth.

His head was shaven and he stood with dark robes wrapped around him, undoubtedly heating his body uncomfortably as Miroku's now did.

"I wish to speak with you, Houshi-sama."

oOo

They searched in silence, the hours passing by slowly as they wandered further and further away from the village that had commissioned them . The forest was dark and silent apart from the music of the night crawlers and the sound of their own footsteps. No singing. No whispers.

"He made it sound like it would be easy to find this spirit..." Sango spoke softly as the three weaved around the trees, the light from her small torch flickering in the warm breeze. "It must get shy around strangers." She said sneeringly, kirara the only one to respond as she mewed softly.

Silence grew once again, each lost in thought as they continued their search.

"Anything, Inuyasha?" Miroku spoke into the darkness towards the slight rustling within the darkened canopy.

"Still nothing..." Inuyasha called down.

A low growl filled his throat. _'Dammit." _He cursed himself for being so foolish. He had jumped on the damned rumor and he was the reason why they were here wandering around this damned forest. He reached for Tessaiga thoughtlessly as he continued to scan the forest ahead of them.

_'This is what happens when you listen to spooked ol' men.' _ He cocked his head to the side, stretching his tense shoulder. _'Nothing good ever comes from eves dropping.'_

_'Feh.' _Inuyasha grumbled inwardly, shaking his head. The situation was aggravating enough without an inner monologue. He straightened up looking into the blackness a small scowl forming reflexively despite his sudden forced and half hearted optimism. Maybe, just a little bit further and they would find it.

Silver hair fell back as he looked up toward the moon. Then again another possible reason they had found nothing, was because there was nothing. That this was truly just a ghost story or even worse a hoax, although he couldn't quite see how that would serve any purpose for the small village. Another long sigh filled the air, a sound which now seemed to characterize the long night.

They had all but given up when out of the blackness it came, drifting with the warm breeze, a low and haunting hum. Glowing eyes narrowed, his silver ears twitching as they strained forward. "Quiet."

Both Miroku and Sango stopped immediately, listening intently to the night air for whatever he had heard.

Inuyasha paced forward, filtered moonlight highlighting his silver hair, ears swiveling forward to better pick through the sounds of the night. "I hear it..." He whispered hoarsely, his gaze hardening as he focused.

The hanyou stilled, the ghostly melody seeking him out and pulsing throughout his body. The tune both pleasant and somber, called to him willfully and without knowing why, he felt the urge to follow to surrender to its will.

'_Is this why...they're afraid.' _

He looked down to see that neither Miroku or Sango had been affected by the melody but then again their hearing was not nearly as good as his.

"Let's go."

The three figures moved forward with new found determination, Inuyasha leading them in the direction of the still inaudible voice. Moving slowly so as to not lose the sound of low humming.

They had cleared several more feet, weaving around trees and over fallen timber when his companions finally heard it as well.

"I can hear it." Sango whispered, Miroku nodding in affirmation. "Me as well."

They stood for several moments gazes fixed forward unseeingly. Inuyasha knew they now felt what he did, the look in their eyes only confirming it as they continued to stand under the filtered moonlight.

"Lets go." He spoke quietly, breaking the spell as he turned away from the two. "Can't stop." He added, calling from the blackness. Sango and Miroku both nodded as they followed Inuyasha deeper into the trees.

Crunching gravel and snapping twigs were the sounds that accompanied the low and intermittent humming as the three continued forward with renewed purpose.

"Do you feel it too?" Although she hadn't specified he knew Sango had directed the question towards him. He made no move to acknowledge it however and instead pushed through.

"Inuyasha." She spoke more firmly this time.

Without looking back he nodded, his back still turned to the others as he lead the way.

Sang nodded thoughtfully. "What d..."

Without warning he stopped, placing his hand out before her and Mirkou, her words quickly forgotten once she saw the look on his face. Her anxiety grew as he pushed them back, his knuckles bleached white as he clutched the hilt of Tessaiga.

"Inuyasha?!"

He didn't answer, instead racing off to find whatever it was he had sense. Sango griped the handle of her hiraikotsu lifting it up over her shoulder before speeding off after Inuyasha.

"Miroku!"

"Behind you, Sango."

Her voice was shaky as she called out to him. "Can you feel anything?"

Miroku frowned from his place behind her, stretching out his senses yet again in desperation searching for whatever it was he had missed.

"I...I can't sense anything."

They ran on in silence catching a blur of red just as he slipped through the tree line and into the moonlight.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called after him not wanting to lose sight of him. She was the first to break into the clearing after Inuyasha, Miroku following moments later only to find them frozen only feet away from the tree line.

He could feel it now, the reason Inuyasha had sped off without them.

Reluctantly he followed their gazes across the darkened clearing, a familiar and sickening feeling rising from deep within the pit of his stomach and he knew. He knew even before its monstrous form could be highlighted by moonbeams.

"It's been a long time...Inuyasha."

"I'll fucking kill you!" Inuyasha's threat thundered through the clearing. His voice cracked and strained as he roared angrily.

Fleshy limbs writhed in a mass as it lumbered forward languidly a deep cackle joining the sickening sound of the creatures agitated movements.

"Oh Inuyasha, I don't think you could."

A/N:

Any guesses on who or what that monstrous beast may be?

Anyway hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I just want to let you know that I actually made myself write the intro to the next chapter before posting this with the hopes of shortening the length between updates, but we'll see how that goes.

Also I was toying with the idea of having you guys make suggestions for the story. Say, if there is something you think would be cool to incorporate or you would like to see in the story let me know. I know where I'm going with the story but I'm always open to incorporating interesting bits to the story.

By the way I can not apologize enough for how long it has taken me to get this chapter done. I really want to give the best I can in my chapters and I know I said there would be some time between updates but I hate that it takes me so dang long to get to where I'm somewhat happy with a chapter.

Hope you guys enjoy :)

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	6. The Ghost

The Ghost

"One need not be a chamber to be haunted."

-Emily Dickinson

"Inuyasha?" Her voice whispered through the night and for a moment he thought to ignore the girl altogether but the hesitance in her voice quickly had him nixing the idea and so he shifted ever so slightly on his perch knowing she would take the gesture for what it was. Silence grew with the exception of an all too familiar 'ticking' as Kagome picked at her fingers, an obnoxious habit she had when 'collecting' her thoughts.

"You should get back to camp, Kagome." Inuyasha almost sighed from his place among the trees.

"I wish you would stop expecting me to sit on the sidelines all of the time." Her voice was raised and shaky as she finally bit back. Inuyasha clenched his fist automatically, knuckles whitening with tension as he struggled to hold back his frustration.

"You never ask the others to stay back!"

"Inuyasha, I have just as much of a right to fight!" Kagome spoke with more conviction this time, her fear of upsetting the hanyou further thrown out the window. A blur of red and silver let her know that her companion had decided to take the fight to her level.

"That's because they know what they're doing! You, on the other hand, have no place being on a battlefield! You couldn't tell heads from ass end in a fight, Kagome! That's why I tell you to stay out of the way."

Her cheeks reddened with anger and mutinous tears welled within her eyes to spite her. "I have a right, Inuyasha! And I…I may not have lost as much as you guys have but I was brought here for a reason, I was chosen to help you!" Her chest heaved as she fought to reign in her upset and she took a shaky breath before continuing quietly. "I have a place, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyes pierced back through the night as Kagome stared stubbornly into his, a few rogue tears slipping down her flushed cheeks despite her best efforts.

He growled low in his throat, reaching forward quickly wiping away the source of the scent he so disliked with his sleeve. He stepped back his hands crossing tightly against his chest before speaking again, this time in a much softer tone "You don't know battle, Kagome." He turned away refusing to make eye contact for the time being.

"Me, Miroku, Sango…hell even Shippou, we've all known what it means to fight. You…you don't." Kagome lowered her head in acknowledgment. "I know, Inuyasha but…" She lifted her head pinning him with a firm gaze. "I was brought here for a reason and I'm not going to sit back while everyone else risks their well being to keep me safe." She shook her head firmly her gaze hardening as she stepped forward. " I won't sit back Inuyasha. The only way you'll be able to keep from helping is if you send me back and you promised…you promised you wouldn't send me away again…didn't you?"

The words she spoke were more of a statement than a question but Inuyasha felt the need to answer anyway, his eyes softening as he remembered back to that day, the day Kagome had asked to stay by his side, it was his selfishness that kept him from sending her away to safety, a selfish need to cling to something dear to him.

"Yeah..."

oOo

"You no longer even hold the potential" Naraku grinned, watching as the half-breed tensed.

Inuyasha's knuckles whitened, as he gripped his tetsusaiga, his body turning ever so slightly in an offensive stance. "You don't know what I'm capable of." There was a moment of silence as the huge mass swayed momentarily and the trio watched as its red eyes glinted in the moonlight, the figure atop scanning the small group leisurely before stopping once again on their hanyou leader, a small, knowing grin spreading across his face.

Miroku's stomach dropped at Naraku's look and all he could do was look to Inuyasha knowing what was to come.

"But I know what you are incapable of."

Naraku couldn't contain his glee at the look of realization in the hanyou's eyes. _'The dog's not as dumb as he looks.'_ A horrible grin tore at his face and shrill laughter wrung out in pure joy as Inuyasha flew forward his eyes bleeding red.

"Whadda you know?!" Inuyasha's voice was shrill, tetusaiga drawn and pulsing erratically as he charged forward easily dodging the tentacle Naraku sent barreling his way. He hadn't even heard Miroku yell out his name before he was sideswiped by another mass of flesh, his body sent flying across the clearing coming to a stop with a sickening crack as he collided with a tree.

Naraku smiled as he watched the hanyou fall to the ground lifelessly. "I told you that you were no longer capable." Naraku's smooth voice cut through the clearing, his body moving almost restlessly. "Your body is weak, malnourished. It wants to die." There was a slight pause before he continued speaking. "You may think you are going to kill me, Inuyasha, but it doesn't matter what your mind wants when your body, your soul is ready to die."

A low growl vibrated through the night air, Inuyasha slowly rising to meet Naraku stubbornly. "No. You don't know nothin'! Nothin' about my strength, my weakness!"

A small grin spread across Naraku's face, a small tentacle flicking leisurely as he spoke once again. "I know that even if you weren't wasting away and had retained your strength. The jewel still bestows great power."

His small grin spread into a wide smile as he suppressed a low chuckle, the moonlight catching on a small object as he pulled it free from his top. "It hasn't been quite as fun without a little competition." The light of the moon amplified the familiar tainted glow of an almost fully formed jewel.

"Ha!" Inuyasha grinned, wiping blood from his mouth. "You went through all this justa rub it in our faces?" Inuyasha scoffed once again as he brought tetusaiga to his shoulder. "What? You didn't think we'd figre it was you?" He turned his head slightly never breaking contact with the dark hanyou as he spit, clearing the blood from his mouth. "Aint no big surprise."

He lifted his fist to his mouth swiping away the remaining blood. His yellow eyes flashed as he pinned the figure before him raising his massive sword towards Naraku. "I don't give a damn if my body or my soul wants to die. I am meant to send you to hell even if I have to take you with me."

Naraku huffed in reply. The half breed could do nothing, even the weight of his transformed sword was too much for him to bare, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he held it up and it was out of Naraku's disappointment that this game of his would only last so long that he lashed out again, his tentacle barreling into Inuyasha's body.

The aired hissed as hiraikotsu soared through the air and cut clean through Naraku's outstretched tentacle. "Why?!" She screamed out as the massive boomerang returned to her.

She was angry for her losses, her brother, her friends and Kagome. She was angry that she felt helpless and angry at the lengths to which Naraku was willing to go to play his tricks and his arrogance only made it worse. "Why the charade?!" She twisted her body as she flung the bone weapon once again, her anger and frustration apparent as her weapon cut once more through a massive tentacle but still he made no move to attack her.

"You truly outdid yourself this time, Naraku." Miroku spoke levelly as he walked forward watching from the corner of his eye as Inuyasha moved to his feet shakily. "An entire village was fooled into believing a ghost story through your disguise." He laid a gentle hand on Sango's shoulder offering her a reassuring look.

"I required no disguise, Monk. I had another more suitable to play the part." The tinge of amusement in his voice caused Miroku to look back towards Naraku, his heart growing cold at the grin on his face.

"It really has been such a long time since last we met. So many changes..." His grin widened as he looked excitedly towards Inuyasha. "A few less…friends." Naraku laughed madly at the look on Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha saw red and prepared to lunge once again for Naraku before Miroku yelled out to him.

"Inuyasha! Listen."

The humming had returned low and pleading as it had before only this time the tune was a little less otherworldly. Naraku shrugged his shoulders as he addressed the trio. "As I said before, I had another to play the part…" His mass of tentacles began to writhe once more unfolding from one another as if opening, the soft humming growing in intensity as they did so until stopping abruptly shortly before the last massive appendage moved aside.

And there she stood, the ghost, dressed in white her familiar grey eyes pleading as she looked towards the others silently. Inuyasha's heart faltered and all at once his body became so heavy he could not help but fall to his knees. He reached forward, his voice shaky and raspy as he called out her name and then she reached out to him.


End file.
